FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT DEREK STEPAN - PAGE 5

The Sports Xchange NHL Team Report - New York Rangers - INSIDE SHOTS Six months of sitting atop the Eastern Conference has come down to having to win in Ottawa just to force a decisive seventh game next week at Madison Square Garden. Henrik Lundqvist was barely outdueled by Senators counterpart Craig Anderson in a 2-0 (including empty-netter) loss in Game 5, putting the Eastern Conference-champion Rangers on the brink of elimination in Game 6 on Monday on the road.

Kreider gets hat trick, Rangers spoil Tortorella's return NEW YORK -- Left winger Chris Kreider and goaltender Cam Talbot were not skating with the New York Rangers when the season began, but since their promotion from the minors they have been a key part of the team's resurgence. Kreider scored three goals for the first hat trick of his career and Talbot stopped a career-high 35 shots to help the Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in a Saturday matinee at Madison Square Garden.

The Sports Xchange NHL Team Report - Pittsburgh Penguins - INSIDE SHOTS Suddenly, the Penguins have become Public Enemy No. 1. For the fourth time in four days, an NHL figure has roasted the Penguins. This time, nasty words came courtesy of New York Rangers coach John Tortorella on Thursday night following the Penguins' 5-2 win over the Blue Shirts at Consol Energy Center. Tortorella was initially irate because of a hit defenseman Brooks Orpik threw on Derek Stepan.

RANGERS 3, SENATORS 2: Derek Stepan collected his first points of the series with a power-play goal and two assists as visiting New York scored three times in the second period to force a Game 7 in its Eastern Conference quarterfinal with Ottawa. Brad Richards scored, rookie Chris Kreider netted his first NHL goal and Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 25 shots for top-seeded New York, which hosts the deciding contest Thursday at Madison Square Garden. After Chris Neil deflected defenseman Sergei Gonchar's point shot to open the scoring in the first period, Stepan leveled the contest 8:55 into the second with his first goal of the series.

THE STORY: Craig Anderson and the Ottawa Senators have pushed the top-seeded New York Rangers to the brink of elimination. After registering a franchise-best 41-save shutout Saturday, Anderson will look to provide the final shove during Monday's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in Canada's capital city. Captain Daniel Alfredsson, who has missed the team's last three contests with a mild concussion, is - by his own words - "hopeful" to play in Game 6. TV: 7 p.m., NBCS, CBC ABOUT THE RANGERS: With three goals in the first three contests of the series, Brian Boyle has been an unexpected offensive contributor for New York.

SportsDirect Inc. Preview: Senators at Rangers THE STORY: For the fourth time in his career, Henrik Lundqvist was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. If the top-seeded New York Rangers wish to continue their pursuit of the Stanley Cup, they'll need the stud goaltender to prove his worth in Thursday's seventh and deciding game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Ottawa Senators. New York has won all three of its previous Game 7 matches at Madison Square Garden.

SportsDirect Inc. Recap: Rangers 3, Capitals 1 RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 1: Rookie Chris Kreider scored the game winner seven minutes into the third period as host New York edged Washington in the opener of their Stanley Cup second-round series. Kreider sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into a tizzy after Washington botched a defensive change, allowing Kreider to gather a Derek Stepan pass and streak down the left wing before firing a low slapshot past the glove hand of Capitals netminder Braden Holtby.